MOVES TO CURB POT 'POOLS'

Sophisticated marijuana sales syndicates are being set up in SA,
spurring police to push for a reduction in the number of plants people
can grow without being convicted.

Police believe growers are nurturing up to ten plants and then pooling
their haul and selling it for "huge profit" interstate.

But unless police can prove a "conspiracy", these growers usually
receive an on-the-spot fine of up to $150 plus a $7 levy.

The issue is expected to come to the fore during an Australian-first
drugs strategies conference in Adelaide this week. Conference convenor
and officer-in-charge of the police Drug and Alcohol Policy Section,
Detective Inspector Graham Lough, said reducing the number of plants
people could grow without conviction would help block syndicate growers.

"Our drugs squad and local CIB's are well aware this is going on," he
said.

The Controlled Substances Advisory Committee - of which police are a
part - has put a formal submission to the State Government suggesting
growers caught with more than three plants should receive convictions.
Det Insp Lough said the Australasian Conference on Drugs Strategy
would be the first instigated by an Australasian law enforcement agency.

He said it would develop new strategies for six main areas of
Australia's drug problem and conference recommendations would be
presented to the 1999 Police Commissioners' Conference in Darwin next
month.

More than 100 experts from around the world will present papers this
week on;

Enforcement - reducing illicit drug supplies and drug-related
crime.

Alcohol misuse - the role of police and other authorities in reducing
the misuse of alcohol.

Drug harm minimisation.

Demand reduction - drug education within schools, local government and
correctional services.

Indigenous substance abuse.

Drugs and driving - examining alcohol and drugs as causes of road
accidents.

More than 600 people are expected to attend the conference which
begins at the Hilton Adelaide International on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister, Mr Howard, will address the conference before it
closes on Thursday afternoon.

Toughlove, a parent support group, is behind the new plant reduction
campaign.

Representative Mrs Carol Carter said Marijuana was one of the biggest
problems faced by Toughlove parents.

"We find 90 to 100% of the problems we are having with teenagers are
with marijuana," she said.

"It is so readily available in SA. "We are actually after zero
tolerance."